Dear Friends,
As you may have heard, we had a fire at Fort Collins Rescue Mission. It started in the kitchen and destroyed it, and our offices were heavily damaged. We rejoice in the fact that no one was injured. Our staff on duty that night, Andrew and Stephen, saved lives. Their courage and care for our guests are amazing!
We are so thankful for the Poudre Fire Department, the Fort Collins Police Department and all who responded so quickly to keep this from becoming worse than it was. The Red Cross quickly worked with our team to make sure we could shelter and feed those who count on us each night. Our own leadership team, led by Seth and Ashley, responded quickly, with grace and incredible leadership.
We have a long road ahead. We are hopeful that sooner rather than later we will be able to use the dorms and bathrooms. It will be a very long time before we can use the kitchen, and we need office space for case management. While grateful for insurance, we have deductibles and expenses not covered by insurance and unbudgeted. Yet, we know this crisis did not catch God by surprise and God is bigger than this crisis. God has provided for our ministry, and we trust God will continue to do so.
Many times, God provides through you, our donors and friends. We have never been able to do this work without you, your faithfulness and God working through you to bless and provide for our ministry.
I ask two things. First, would you pray for our staff and our guests who suffered yet another trauma through this crisis? Imagine coming to the Mission to find safety, help, hope, and a path out of homelessness, only to have a tragedy like this seemingly take that away. Pray they will not lose hope or give up and pray we will be able to walk with them even now. Second, I ask you to consider helping us financially meet the needs this has brought upon us.
Thank you for all you do for our ministry!
Grace and Peace,
Dennis Van Kampen
President/CEO
This post is part of October’s Changing Lives Newsletter. This month, we’re sharing Joe’s story of discovering a door to a brighter future in: The Track to Stability.
